All posts by Shari Weiss

I have been writing and teaching most of my life -- and have enjoyed both vocations. However, the advent of the Social Media Revolution has turned my life around in the most exciting fashion. Rather than think about retirement, I want to help change the world -- particularly the business world -- into a "kinder," more ethical, transparent, and authentic place to help solve people's problems.
LinkedIn

POWER UP LinkedIn Company Pages by adding Products & Services

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Got that LinkedIn Company Page up and running? If not, here’s how: Add your Company to LinkedIn.

This article is STEP TWO in creating a company website on fast growing, highly respected, professional social media platform LINKEDIN, with more than 100 million members worldwide — and now a “public” company .

Still not convinced? Read my previous article on LinkedIn as your Virtual Office Space.

If you haven’t completed more than the OVERVIEW, your company screen may look something “not very impressive” like this:

.

Time to add some power and functionality

Steps 1-3: Click on Edit in Step 1 screen. Click  on Products and Services in Step 2 screen. Click on Add a product & service as shown in Step 3 screen.

Step 1 screen

 

 

 

 

Step 2 screen

 

 

 

Step 3 screen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now we are really ready to begin

Below you will see a screenshot of the ADD A PRODUCT page. But first, here is a list all of the options, so you can can come prepared. Keep in mind that each product/service page has its own separate URL and can be promoted as a landing page — which can be posted on your website and various social media sites like Twitter and Facebook.

You may add as many as 25 products/services.

1) Select PRODUCT or SERVICE

2) Select a CATEGORY. Your choices include the following: Apparel; Arts & Entertainment; Automotive; Business Services; Consulting; Consumer Electronics; Education; Energy Services; Environmental Services; Financial Services; Government; Health & Well Being; Healthcare; Internet; Legal; Manufacturing; Marketing & Advertising; Non Profit; Other; Packaged Goods; Pharmaceutical; Publishing & Media; Real Estate; Recruitment; Retail; Technology; Telecommunications; Travel; Web Design & Development; Writing & Translation

3) NAME your product or service

4) Add an IMAGE: Best to use a Thumbnail image and trim out unnecessary white space.

5) DESCRIBE your product or service: While there is no character limit, keep in mind that less is more. Too much text could keep someone from reading any of it.

6) FEATURES & BENEFITS: You may add up to ten features and benefits. Best marketing strategy, however, is to focus on consumer benefits, rather than just the features of your products. There is also a space for a Disclaimer, and if your company uses specific language, you will want to write that here.

7) Add a URL: Here is an opportunity for cross-posting, i.e. external links from LinkedIn to your website [just as you can link your website to these product pages].

8- Add employees to a CONTACT list: The employees must have LinkedIn profiles, and you must be connected with them to add them to the company page.

9) Create a PROMOTION: Here is where your company product pages can be more dynamic. Whenever you have a special promotion, you can add that to the product page. Prepare a Title, a URL, and a description.

10) YOUTUBE video: For many people, this is the most exciting option on the page. You can add the human element as well as product demonstrations through video. Make certain to take special care with both the TITLE of the video and the tags you use on YouTube. You will then have the opportunity to add the YouTube URL.

Here is the actual screen:

BTW: You can add recommendations to Product pages AND you can remove them. Here are two LinkedIn “help” answers to guide you:




Here’s one more idea: Post links to your company pages in the comment section, and readers can see how successful you were.

LinkedIn

How To Add A Company To LinkedIn – Step ONE: Create the Page

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LinkedIn has become the official business outpost in cyberspace with more than 100 million professional business people now registered. This well-respected social media platform is the right place — and this is the right time — for your organization to set up and maintain a detailed description of who you are and what you do.

Recent enhancements to LinkedIn now enable members to have more control over Company Pages — which offer powerful tools for building and managing an organization’s digital presence.

These days it is clear that “people do business with people and not organizations,” and LinkedIn’s Company pages offer a “human side” to business. Company Pages provide a great way for LinkedIn members to research everything they want to know about a company from products and services to who works there and what they do. Company pages even provide a professional space for freelancers to promote their businesses and expertise.

Your step-by-step guide to setting up a LinkedIn Company Page

STEP ONE: Start the process by creating your company’s profile page

[NOTE: Below the instructions is my first attempt at a Jing video presentation of this article. Click on the link, but forgive the fact that this is my first attempt at a screencast video and I have a cold.]

a. Go to your own LinkedIn page and click on the word Companies on the top ride side of the menu board.

b. Select “Add a company” — located on the top right underneath the search box. You will see this box:

c. Fill in company name AND your email address at the company. Make certain to use an email address AT THE COMPANY. Email addresses using yahoo, gmail, AOL, etc. will not allow you to set up a company. Then check the box that verifies you can officially represent the company.

d. When you click “Continue” you’ll get the message to “check your email.”

e. Then you’ll need to access your email account, click on that link which takes you to the “Confirm Your Email Address.”

After clicking the “Confirm” button, you will be asked to sign in to your account to confirm this new email address. Sign in using your existing primary email address — even if different than your company email. [LinkedIn often asks you to “sign in” even after you have been using the site.]

e. After signing in again, you will be able to add your company information on the following Company Overview screen:

f. In the first box on the left, select whether to allow ALL employees to administer the site OR choose “Designated users only” and then be certain to at least write in your own name.

g. Upload a logo: you have two choices. The second choice, the square one, is useful because it will accompany your company’s name. The first choice [the rectangular one] will not. So if you don’t have something square, you might want to create something to fit this opportunity.

h. Company description: LI “allows” you at least 150 characters. If you use any less, however, you will be asked for more before you can “publish” the page.

i. Company specialties: remember to use keywords here to help with “find-ability” in online searches. The admin page offers four boxes, but you can add more [and should].

j. Twitter ID? If you don’t have one, get one — and post it here.

k. Company blog RSS: If you use Google’s Feedburner, you can go to the Edit Feed Details to find the correct URL to add. [If you don’t use Feedburner, you are on your own for this one.]

l. Keep the default button selection for “show news about my company” unless you have a good reason not to.

m. ON THE RIGHT SIDE BAR, fill in the requested info in each dropdown box.

n. Then — Go up to the Top Right and press PUBLISH.

VOILA! Your LinkedIn Company Page is up and running.

Creating your Company Profile on LinkedIn is an excellent way to get your business name “out there” and ranked more successfully on Google and other search engines.

Stay tuned for Step TWO: Adding the New Features: Product/Services and Recommendation opportunities

[Screencast video of this article]

Here’s STEP TWO – Adding your Products & Services to your company page

Journalism

Is Curation the Future of Journalism?

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Curation: “the activities of sorting, choosing, and display, which museum curators perform based on their extensive knowledge of the subject area of an exhibit.” [according to Mindy McAdams in her article on Curation and Journalists]

“With the push of social media and advancements in communications technology, the curator has become a journalist by proxy.

“They are not on the front lines, covering a particular beat or industry, or filing a story themselves, but they are responding to a reader need.

“With a torrent of content emanating from innumerable sources (blogs, mainstream media, social networks), a vacuum has been created between reporter and reader — or information gatherer and information seeker — where having a trusted human editor to help sort out all this information has become as necessary as those who file the initial report.” [3 quotes from Mashable article: Why Curation is Important to the Future of Journalism]

“A curator is someone who acts as a medium between journalists/publications and readers.  In today’s world of social media, link aggregators and social networking, almost anyone can attempt to be a curator . . . Curation is still evolving and the rules on the playing field will certainly change as the medium continues to be shaped.  Starting with some solid rules, however, instead of adopting an ‘anything goes’ approach, is definitely a good start.” [source]

The Mashable article quoted above also lists these thoughts:

  • Curators are like tour guides.
  • The word “media” means in the middle and reporters have always been mediaries — or middlemen.
  • Curators need to be trustworthy — and, thus, need to be held to standards, i.e., that is ethical practices as taught to journalists.
  • Transparency is key, so sources must be cited when content is not original.

Some suggest that the Internet-era newsroom should split journalism into four roles: (a) reporters; (b) columnists; (c) curators; (d) editors [source]. But reporters so often do not go out to do first-person reporting; instead of creating their own content, they simply reword what comes across wire copy. In addition many news organizations look down on curators, considering them as less-than-journalists.

But are they? Are curators “less than” or simply the — New Journalists?

STUDENTS: What have I done here?

I have “curated,” i.e. collected a lot of material about one topic. Or have I merely “aggregated” it. What is the difference?

I agree with many [here is one example] who insist that curation requires more than social sharing; rather the true curator adds value by offering knowledgeable analysis.

Here is some analysis:

1) Business, whether it be the news distribution business or a brand supplier or a service provider, must accept the fact that the world has changed, and that the “audience” is smarter and requires speedy, accurate, non-manipulative information.

2) Basically what this means is that old “traditional” business practices need to be re-examined to incorporate new technological opportunities.

3) Creativity and “non-laziness” [e.g.. simply relying on copying others] must be a part of building a community of followers and advocates.

So what does this “analysis” have to do with the Future of Journalism? You tell me.

Guest Post, Journalism

10 Easy Steps to Creating Your Own LinkedIn Group

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Starting a LinkedIn group is fast & easy

Just ask Billy Rivera, one of my star students in the Social Media for Journalists online course that I teach for 33 students at Laney College. We have a great  Facebook group for student discussions, and it was my intention to add a LinkedIn group as well.

But Billy beat me to it. Here’s his story with 10 easy steps you can take to set up your own LinkedIn group.

Why and How to start your own LinkedIn group

Guest post by Billy Rivera

After two weeks on LinkedIn, I think I have found my rhythm. As a newbie with limited work experience, I knew I had to overcome the fact that I just wouldn’t have 500+ connections anytime soon. Instead of feeling overwhelmed and discouraged, I came up with a game plan that would make people want to connect with me. I realized that having a status bar tell me that my profile was only 75% complete isn’t a reflection on me, my skill set, or my ambitions.

As part of last week’s assignment, we were asked to join a selection of LinkedIn groups (i.e. #journchat, Online Journalism, and Online Reporters and Editors), contribute to the discussion, and finally, write a blog post with highlights from the conversation. The first thing I noticed was that in order to join some groups, I first had to be approved. So instead of waiting for their approval, I decided to create my own groups, starting with one for us journalism students. What sets my group apart from many out there is that it is open; no approval needed, just your mind and your love for social media and journalism.

Reasons to start your own LinkedIn group

· Create a community that doesn’t already exist

· Establish more connections

· Free PR/marketing for your business

· Conduct research on a topic

· To inspire people

· Create a fan club

· Branch off from a bigger group with a niche

· Network to further your career goals

· Recruit people for your business

· Start a dialogue about something you’re passionate about

10 steps to start your own LinkedIn group

If you have a great idea for a LinkedIn group, starting one is fast and easy. Once you’ve created the group, you have the option to send a mass invite to your connections and have a discussion flowing within minutes. Here’s how:

1. Go to your LinkedIn homepage. On the top menu bar you will see these categories: Home, Profile, Contacts, Groups, Jobs, Inbox, Companies, and More. When you put the cursor over “Groups,” a drop down will appear. Click “Create a Group.”

2. The next page is the most important. For now, skip over the Logo option and come back to it last.

3. Think of a group name that will stand out from the rest. For example, when I created our group, Social Media for Journalism Students, I didn’t want to title it the exact same as our class because I wanted it to be open to anyone and everyone who may want to discuss social media, as well as journalism students.

4. Choose a Group Type that best reflects the type of “activity” you feel you want. When I created our group, I felt that none of the options were a good fit, so I chose “Other” and then typed in “Class Group.”

5. Write a brief summary that will attract people to join. IMPORTANT: Choose keywords that people will use when searching for groups to join.

6. Here’s where you can go deeper into the group topic. When I created the group, I went back to our class syllabus and used a quote from Shari Weiss (and, of course, cited her) that I feel best summed up why we journalism aspirants should study social media.

7. Enter an email address that you check on a daily basis, so you can monitor group activity as it happens.

8. Website: this is optional. I chose to enter my Journ65 blog as a way to show group members that I’m the Real Deal striving, to be the “resident expert” on the subject matter.

9. Modify the Access of the group to fit your needs. You have two choices: Auto-join, or Request to join. Click on “Display this group in the Groups Directory,” “Allow members to display the logo on their profiles,” and “Allow members to invite others to join this group.” This will make it easier for people to find your group.

10. For the logo, search for an image that is public domain (copyright and royalty free) from a site such as www.freedigitalphotos.net or upload a photo from your computer. Choose a photo that catches the eye and is a spot-on representation of the subject matter. Read through your Summary and Description for inspiration for finding a logo that works for the group.

When you’ve completed the 10-steps, click on “Create an Open Group.”

Once you’ve created the group and sent invites, managing it will be simple and rewarding. As people join, make sure to invite them to join in on the discussion. Introduce yourself as the group owner, and make them feel welcome. As the group owner, it is up to you to think of discussion topics and post them to the group “wall.” The more people that join, the bigger the discussion.

[Note from Shari: I just read how important it is for you to choose the right NAME for your group: “On LinkedIn you want to win the mindshare of your target audience and attract them to become members of your group. You can only do so by naming your group appropriately.” Hubspot ebook Learning LinkedIn from the Experts]

Guest Post, Journalism, Twitter

Mother Nature Attacks, Social Media Assists!

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Revolutions, earthquakes, and tsunamis: What do they have in common?

Answer: Social media

“What fascinated most Social Media analysts was the speed at which information traveled all over the world regarding the earthquake.”

Is it a coincidence , or simply the New Normal, that typically hot journalistic topics like violence and devastation are now being reported most effectively through Social Media rather than Traditional Media — at the same time that 33 Laney College students are actively participating in my online course Social Media for Journalists.

Our Facebook Group discussions are lively and revealing like the one evolving around the earthquake and tsunami in Japan that lead to this student’s coverage of the events and their reporting.


Mother Nature Attacks, Social Media Assists!

Guest Post by Champa Mulchandani

Mother Nature is seriously upset. And to show us the extent of her unhappiness, she decided to throw an earthquake at Japan. You know she means business when it’s an 8.9 magnitude earthquake which is soon followed by a massive tsunami. If the earthquake hit any other country in the world, this situation would have been a horrendous one.

However, because Japan is one of the most technologically advanced countries whose architecture and infrastructure is designed with earthquakes in mind, the earthquake was unable to cause heaps of destruction.

But no matter how large a catastrophe, Social Media never fails to assist and connect. Phone lines may come crashing down, but Facebook and Twitter will be up and rollicking waiting to be used. And so it did. While reporting and giving viewers the most up to date news from north east Japan, they insisted on family and friends from around the world on utilizing all forms of Social Media to stay in touch with people in the earthquake hit Japan.

Japan hashtags trending

In the last 24 hours, the hash tags #Japan, #earthquake, #tsunami and #prayforjapan have been trending and how. CNN went on to display a number of tweets from all over the world where people explained their feelings towards the earthquake. While locals in Japan tweeted about how their homes swayed, how they were scared and how they were looking for family in parts of Japan where communication was down, people in Chile, were getting ready to be hit by the tsunami waves and thus, were expressing their fears. These chilling firsthand accounts not only gave the media an insight into how Social Media has not only become a source for news, but a diary even where users are able to convey their experiences.

But when it comes to Social Media assisting and informing people of the earthquake, it was Twitter all the way. Most avid Tweeters received news of the earthquake via Twitter. And then realizing that there was no way of communicating with people in Japan any other way but through Twitter, Facebook and Skype. But Twitter didn’t just come in handy for people abroad; local Japanese citizens flocked to Twitter for aid and information. Non-Japanese speakers residing in Japan were all over Twitter looking up alerts, altered train schedules and even places for shelter.

What fascinated most Social Media analysts was the speed at which information traveled all over the world regarding the earthquake. Tweeters, in and out of Japan, rapidly updated timelines; eyewitnesses used YouTube and uploaded videos by the minute of any visuals they had while Facebook pages were put up by the dozen asking for aid, funds and relief much before even the Red Cross could get on board to call on the world for help.

Google too, quickly gathered resources and launched their People Finder site for Japan as soon as the earthquake hit. And it seriously does rock – not as much as the earthquake though, thankfully. Presented with two options, to look or provide information, users can fill in necessary information regarding people they may be looking for. This information is added into a public registry which allows people to search for missing loved ones. Google clearly moved quickly with their site as it is not only available in English and Chinese, but in Japanese too.

Traditional media relies on social media

Ultimately, what Social Media did for the Japan earthquake was provide information so quickly that even news channels sought their help. This would explain why CNN promoted the use of Social Media and encouraged citizens of the world to hop on the Social Media bandwagon. What this ultimately tells us, as Social Media journalism students is simple: the power of Social Media cannot be underestimated and more importantly, besides connecting, it comes in handy during any or all catastrophes. We’ve seen how Social Media has created revolutions in the world. Today we witnessed Social Media come in a totally different dimension. It didn’t just allow people to stay in touch despite an earthquake and tsunami, but it also allowed us to stay informed.

Sadly, Social Media will not be able to save or protect citizens who are in harm’s way. Nor will be ever be able to predict and prevent earthquakes from occurring. But it certainly can assist when Mother Nature goes rather into frenzy with us.

In the meantime, our thoughts and prayers are with Japan. We’re sure they will come through it all stronger and more resilient.

 

Featured, LinkedIn

10 Steps to Update your LinkedIn Profile for Maximum Find-ability

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My friend Barry had been unemployed for more than a year when he came to one of my LinkedIn workshops to maximize his site profile. Shortly thereafter he was tapped by an overseas firm for a very lucrative project. My brother Chuck had been at home “playing” with social media. I suggested he focus on LinkedIn; he did; now he’s got a great sales job. My fellow BNI-er Kathy has rebranded her design business beginning with a brand new LinkedIn profile.

And getting jobs and new business is only the beginning. See the previous post for why you need to join — and be active — on LinkedIn.

For maximum find-ability, be very deliberate in adding pertinent Key Words to your profile. When search engine spiders crawl the web to find answers to people’s queries, they look for the most credible sources. And LinkedIn is one of today’s Most Credible sources, so when you choose the key words relevant to your expertise — and add them into your profile –you will be Found. At the end of the article, you can check out my “scores” relating to being found online.

This tutorial will help you take the first critical step to LinkedIn success, and that is Posting a Great Profile. To help you do just that —

  • Read the instructions
  • Use the included worksheet to follow those instructions
  • Check out my LI Profile for a model and/or comparison

Now go straight to “Edit Profile” function:

 

NOTE: See the “Profile” category on the top menu? If you point your cursor there, you will get a drop down box with the option to EDIT PROFILE.

Maximize your LinkedIn profile

STEP ONE: Your photo

Choose a good quality face shot. It’s okay if you have a “face made for radio”; people do business with people, not icons. Lots of people choose professional head shots. My personal feeling is that there is nothing wrong with that, but if you can get some color or pose that makes you stand out, so much the better. Some people feel you should change the face shot with some regularity. I disagree. My own experience is that I feel something of a “disconnect” when I see a different photo of someone I’ve grown to know online.

How do you add your photo? Not difficult at all if you have a photo on your computer or a flash drive. Simply click on “Edit” under the photo box. You will see this instruction: “You can upload a JPG, GIF or PNG file (File size limit is 4 MB).” Search your computer and Upload. Then SAVE.

STEP TWO: The ALL-IMPORTANT Headline

Please whatever you do, do NOT neglect thoughtful consideration of your Headline. The worst thing you can do is “leave it to chance,” i.e. the default headline that appears when you input information about your current position. Also keep in mind, that every time you add a new position, you will need to Re-Edit your headline as LinkedIn automatically goes to this default headline.

WHY is your headline so important?

  1. LinkedIn results show up most readily in searches for people’s names.
  2. The Words used at the beginning of any post are most appealing to the search spiders — and thus most powerful.
  3. The “Headline” follows you around when you are searched for, when you answer questions on LinkedIn, on the list of connections for those you are Linked to, etc.
  4. MOST IMPORTANT, however, is that this is the place where people first find out WHO you are and WHAT you can do for THEM.

Think of your headline as your Personal Brand Statement. This begins with the opportunity to ADD keywords to your name, e.g., my adding Social Media Educator. You can include these keywords by putting a comma after your last name in the edit box and following with the title.

Then you have 120 characters, and you should use every one of them. Best practice is to begin with BENEFITS for those reading your profile. Follow this with a career category or job position, and your email address. [Some people suggest that LinkedIn discourages email addresses in your profile, but my experience is that this is no longer valid advice. If you have a different viewpoint, please add it to the comment section below.]

For a longer discussion and examples of “deliberate” headlines, check out my past profile maximization article.

Here’s the Top Half of my Profile:

 

Maximize your LinkedIn profile to get found onlineSTEP THREE: Your “update”

Although technically not part of your profile per se, there is a box within which to add an update. And, if you have added one recently, it will show with your profile, when people find you on LinkedIn.

How often should you update, and what should you say?

First of all, keep in mind that even though many of today’s applications allow you to automatically update to All your social media sites at the same time, my best advice is NOT to do that. After all, if we are all automating, then who is reading.

While many people update frequently to Facebook and Twitter, Best Practice on LinkedIn is to keep it more “professional,” i.e. three times a week is probably ideal. You will not inundate your connections, but you can stay Top of Mind.

So what should you say? The general advice is to say anything that contributes to your reputation as the Go-To Source for information/support in your expertise. Certainly you can share links to your own blog posts and other stories that are relevant to your target audience. In addition, you should pass along helpful news and tips that you pick up at conferences, meetings, and in your reading.

STEP FOUR: Current and past position[s]

When you download a resume, some of this data will be filled in automatically. But here’s a caveat: ALWAYS proofread what LinkedIn posts; there are bound to be many mistakes as well as repetitions. Better to manually fill in this information. And when you do, be Deliberate. Use as many key words in your job titles as you can authentically create.

[Here’s a tip for filling in information beyond these ten tips: You should “complete” your present and former job descriptions with loads and loads of key words. More about this when we discuss your summary.]

STEP FIVE: Recommendations

Testimonials and “word of mouth” is the currency of business these days, and LinkedIn’s recommendation power is huge. But how many recommendations do you need and how do you go about getting them?

First off, my experience is that anywhere between 20-30 recommendations seems ideal. More than that and you may seem like you are bragging. And who’s going to read 50 recommendations? If you have so many, no doubt they will not all be as beneficial, so why take the chance that with too many to select from, someone will read one of the less powerful ones.

Secondly, how do you go from zero to 25 recommendations?

a) When you just begin, you will probably need to ask some of your business associates who are on LinkedIn if they would write a recommendation for you. Remember they need to be a LinkedIn member to write a LinkedIn recommendation.

b) Do not, under any circumstances, send a blanket email to several of your closest friends asking the group to recommend you. You may not have them as your closest friends anymore if you do this. Writing a recommendation is very personal. Keep it that way. Approach a few people one at a time.

c) After you have collected three recommendations, you probably should only ask someone if that person has just written you a nice note or otherwise told you how great you were. Then you might suggest they write it out in a LinkedIn recommendation.

d) Finally, the best way to get recommendations is to Give Them. This is another instance of Giver’s Gain. One tip here, though: don’t write a recommendation for someone on the same day they write one for you. Your connections might see both recommendations being added concurrently and discount them as disingenuous.

STEP SIX: Your Connections

Here I’m going to copy verbatim what I wrote in my earlier post:

The magic number is 500. Once you surpass that number, your total will remain 500+, whether you have 501 or 5,001.

Whom should you connect to?

Some people choose to keep their LinkedIn community close, i.e., only folks they know personally and would be happy to recommend.

On the other side of the LinkedIn world, you will see “LIONS” — LinkedIn Open Networkers, who accept every LinkedIn invitation and display their email addresses.

I, myself, fall in the middle. In addition to people I know in person, I like to “meet” people in Group Discussions and through Q&A, check out their profiles, and send invitations if I think we can support one another in some way.

If you, personally, are FOR or AGAINST being a Lion, please add your opinion in the comment section below

STEP SEVEN: Websites

Here’s a big opportunity that many people miss when they opt for the default titles “My blog” or “My company” or “My website.”

Edit this section, and in the drop down box, click on OTHER. Then you have the chance to write the actual NAME of your blog, company, and website — another opportunity for key words on your profile AND increased “Find-Ability.”

STEP EIGHT: Twitter

The first question here might be should I have a Twitter account, and I would suggest ABSOLUTELY, yes. Then you will not be behind the curve when Twitter replaces email five years from now :-). For a bit more information on Twitter, you might start with by reading some of my blog posts under the category Twitter Basics, especially Twitter 101: Twitter Doesn’t Have to be Stupid and the Workshop Cheat Sheet for Twitter.

If you are on Twitter, list your “handle.” You’ll see that you can post LinkedIn updates on Twitter. Certainly do that. The reverse, however, i.e. posting every Tweet onto LinkedIn is probably not a good idea.

STEP NINE: Your “public” profile

Another simple “fix”: Edit the default URL from a long unwieldy string of numbers and letters after your name to just your name. Of course, like me, someone with your exact name and spelling of the name has probably already secured that URL, so add something like your city.

Here’s mine: http://www.linkedin.com/in/shariweisssf — I merely added “sf” for San Francisco after my name.

STEP TEN: Your summary: a powerful branding statement, which needs to be loaded with key words

Your most time-consuming task, so I’m breaking into workable chunks:

A) Here is the 3-paragraph format I believe is effective for most of us:

  • FIRST PARAGRAPH: Communicate quickly and clearly the type of opportunities you are seeking.
  • SECOND PARAGRAPH: Highlight 3 or 4 key career accomplishments that demonstrate your qualifications. [Don’t use bullet points. Make it a friendly narrative.]
  • THIRD PARAGRAPH: Answer the question: How are you UNIQUE? How are you DIFFERENT?

B) After these short, clear, and concise paragraphs, add a line all on its own [for emphasis] like this:

For more information, please check out my blog: http://sharisax.com, email me at sharisax@aol.com, and follow me on Twitter @sharisax

C) Then include a COMMON MISSPELLINGS line like mine:

[Common misspellings: Wise, Wiess, Sharon, Sheri, Sherry, Shari Sax]

If people are looking for you, don’t let them miss you simply because they don’t know how to spell your name.

D) Finally, there is the SPECIALTIES section which is hugely important.

Here you put all the KEY WORDS and KEY PHRASES that people are looking for when they search the LinkedIn site. My latest understanding is that keyword PHRASES are better than single words  — to help you differentiate yourself from the many others who mostly put in single words.

My LI summary as an example:


And here’s your LinkedIn profile Worksheet

[you can click the link for a separate worksheet]

1. Photo: _____________________________________________________________________

2. Headline: ____________________________________________________________________

  • 2 benefits for audience
  • Your “title”
  • An email or website or phone number

3. Update: _____________________________________________________________________

4. Current position[s]: Be certain to use keywords [phrases]

5. Recommendations: ____________________________________________________________

6. Connections: _________________________________________________________________

7. Websites: ____________________________________________________________________

Do not use Defaults. Use “other” and Keyword phrases

8. Twitter: ______________________________________________________________________

9. Public Profile: _________________________________________________________________

10.  ALL IMPORTANT SUMMARY:

√ FIRST PARAGRAPH: Communicate quickly and clearly the type of opportunities you are seeking.

√ SECOND PARAGRAPH: Highlight 3 or 4 key career accomplishments that demonstrate your qualifications. [Don’t use bullet points. Make it a friendly narrative.]

√ THIRD PARAGRAPH: Answer the question: How are you UNIQUE? How are you DIFFERENT?

√ ADD “for more info” line __________________________________________________________

√ ADD common misspellings _________________________________________________________

√ SPECIALTIES: Include ALL the keyword phrases you think people might use to search for someone who does what you do.


PS  Video Filling Out Your LinkedIn Profile from Butterscotch.com. You will see nine other LinkedIn videos as well as other tips for LinkedIn success in the articles on this blog under the category LinkedIn Basics.

PPS If you’ve got other tips, please do list them below PLUS any questions.

PPPS Oh, that’s right. I promised

Shari’s getting found scores:





LinkedIn

If Facebook is the Backyard BarBQ, LinkedIn is “your” Office Space

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Welcome . .  . to all my newest LinkedIn students, who are about to discover why LinkedIn is the key social media platform to establish their professional reputations.

LinkedIn is the world’s LARGEST online professional network that can help you gather business intelligence, connect with trusted contacts, and pinpoint individuals who can help build businesses and careers.

Here are a half dozen questions to get you thinking . . .  and Linking:

1) Why should I consider being a LinkedIn member?

2) Is there a “typical” LinkedIn member? i.e., an average age?  Income? Occupation?

3) How is LinkedIn different than other social media sites?

4) How much time do I have to spend on LinkedIn?

5) What exactly can I gain from a profile on LinkedIn?

6) How important are LinkedIn recommendations?

Now even if you aren’t scheduled for a class, you, too, can get yourself going on LinkedIn.

6 LinkedIn Answers to help establish your professional self online

1) Why should I consider being a LinkedIn member?

On average, a new member joins every second of every day, or approximately one million every 12 days. Operating in more than 200 countries, as of Jan 2011, LinkedIn has 101 million members. LinkedIn can help you exchange knowledge, ideas, and opportunities. LinkedIn lets you demonstrate your expertise to establish the trust upon which most business relationships depend.

2) Is there a “typical” LinkedIn member? i.e., an average age?  Income? Occupation?

The average age is 41 years. The average salary is $110,000. Twelve percent of all users say they are in sales. And here are more stats:

  • 10% are either in academia, administration or operations
  • 9% engineering
  • 8%  information technology

3) How is LinkedIn different than other social media sites?

Here is an often used analogy: Consider the formerly popular site MySpace like a bar. What would you do and say there? How would you interact with people you knew and people you wanted to meet . . . at a bar. That was MySpace.

Now there is the giant Facebook with its 600 million users. Think of your Facebook Friends coming to your home for an outdoor BarBQ. What stories would you tell? How would you engage with the guests?

Finally, there is LinkedIn. This is like your Virtual Office. You wouldn’t say the same things in a business setting as you would at home or in the bar, right? Furthermore, you wouldn’t expect the same business value either. LinkedIn is where you can present your professional self, demonstrate your expertise, and build solid professional relationships.

4) How much time do I have to spend on LinkedIn?

Of course, like all of social media, the time management issue is entirely up to you — and what you hope to accomplish.

That being said, if “all” you do is take some time to set up a  professional profile AND post an update once or twice a week, you are way ahead of the game. Your professional online resume will be highly findable, and that in and of itself is powerful.

However, if you would like to take the next steps, and really “use” all the functionality of LinkedIn, then you can plan a host of strategies that could take as much time as you wished to schedule. There are some people who actually plan one hour of Every Day answering LinkedIn questions. This strategy works for them, i.e. establishing their authority and bringing in loads of new business.

5) What exactly can I gain from a profile on LinkedIn?

How about job/client opportunities that you would have had no other way to get?

The ultimate goal of a maximized LinkedIn profile is for people to find YOU when they search for someone/something they need.

6) How important are LinkedIn recommendations?

Recommendations are huge. After all, a good part of the New Normal way of doing business is to understand that People Do Business with People — so often based on positive word of mouth [rather than outside advertising or other promotion].

The “art” of recommendations requires its own separate article, but suffice it to say that one of  your initial strategies needs to be finding happy customers and clients, who are LinkedIn members and will write something glowing AND TRUE about you and your services.

So let’s get started . .  . and that includes asking more questions and adding your own LinkedIn experiences and tips below.

Sources: LinkedIn site, Jan 2011 slideshow,

FURTHER RESOURCES:

Check out all my blog articles labeled LinkedIn Basics for articles on Maximizing your Profile and Creating your own Success on LinkedIn.

[Here is a podcast of this post: Listen to this episode]

Sharisax Is Out There

“This” Telemarketing Thing Has Gotta Change [Briefly Stated]

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Don’t you just love those telemarketers trying to sell you stuff you didn’t ask for and don’t want?

NOT!!

This morning “Joe” called me from Whatever. He told me he’d called and left a message the week before. He told me I’d signed up for some webinar a month ago. He told me that he had a great product that would help me grow my business.

“Do you know who I am?” I asked. “Do you know what I do?”

No, he answered.

“Well then how do you think you can help me grow my business. How do you know what I need. Why are you wasting both of our’s time?”

I’m sorry I wasted 2-1/2 minutes of your time, he said and hung up.

Sharisax Is Out There

So you want to GET STARTED in Social Media? Here are 7 Steps:

17 Comments

In honor of the new students beginning a 12-session Social Media Basics course with me, here is an article with information on What to Do First:

This post is designed for those of you who ..

a – Understand that there is a New Normal.

and/or

b –Have profiles on one or more social media sites and don’t know what to do with them next.

and/or

c – Want to find out where to begin their training in social media sites, strategies, and tools.

and/or

d – Are giving up their resistance, so they can RELAX and ENJOY the Revolution.

My recently re-posted article Simple Answers to Six Basic Social Media Questions answered these six FAQ’s:

  • Where can and will social media take me?
  • What makes social media so important?
  • How much time do people need to spend online?
  • What is a blog?
  • How safe are social media sites for private, confidential information?
  • How many social media platforms do you really need to know and use?

Seven Steps to Starting To Do Social Media the Right Way

STEP ONE: Baby Steps

Too often people attend a social media presentation and begin getting excited, but end up intimidated by How Much there is out there. The key here is to recognize the fact that you must go slowly, i.e., master one site/strategy/tool at a time. Once you have learned that one, the rest will be easier. Be happy with every minor rewarding experience whether it is simply posting or a mention or a real interaction.

STEP TWO: Don’t Expect Immediate Results

I’ll never forget one of my first clients who had just opened a Twitter account and wanted to know if she could expect five new clients in two weeks. NOT! Social Media strategies are long term, i.e. building relationships with trust, consistency, sincerity, and patience.

STEP THREE: Be Deliberate

Imagine that someone ONLY sees One Post or Update or Comment. What is the impression you want to leave with him or her? Think about that every time you write on the Global Whiteboard. What you post is there forever.

STEP FOUR: Listen

My university students regularly hear my 3 Rules to Business Success: (1) Listen Carefully; (2) Read Carefully; and (3) Follow ALL Directions. Without that critical first rule, you will miss vital information to plan future strategies. Communication is not a solo activity. Write a diary for that. With social media you want to listen to what people want and think. Then give them what they want. Remember that marketing, especially social marketing is not about you. It is about people you want to do business with, so find out how you can help. Everyone really does want to be heard.

STEP FIVE: Collaborate

This is one of the beauties of the Internet and its communication channels –social media: i.e., the ease of finding people to help answer questions, solve problems, supply materials, and team up with you on projects. Collaboration follows naturally from engaging online.

STEP SIX: Play

Too often forgotten, but social media should be fun. Social media play follows Margaret Mead’s suggestion from her work with the Samoans, i.e. Work should be Play, and then Play is Work.

STEP SEVEN: Be the GO-TO Source for Information

Here is your ultimate direction: Who you are online. This reminds me of a favorite saying: “We do not go out looking to find ourselves. Rather, we create ourselves.” Social Media provides you the opportunity to establish a yourself as a powerful influencer in your area of expertise. Take your passion and turn it into an opportunity for helping the world. Social media has that reach.

JUST DO IT!

Did I forget any beginning steps you would suggest?

Sharisax Is Out There, Twitter

Is the New Technology the END of Marketing? Just ask Owen

44 Comments

“In a world that is moving from PC-centric to a world completely mobile, it’s hard to keep up,” wrote Owen Greaves in a recent post. Owen is a Futurist, who loves making this paradigm shift less painful when it comes to media and commerce on the Internet.

While many people may say that the world’s problems come from a lack of education, Owen states that this is a Listening problem:

The listening problem comes from an insecurity in my humble opinion, business owners don’t want to look stupid, or be seen as if they don’t know what’s happening in their business and or around them.

I can only tell you this, it is impossible for any one person to know everything there is to know about everything, including your business.

If you are a business owner, try to listen more, grow bigger ears, and then turn your business into a platform that people will find useful. People always return to what is useful. And become a likeable, lovable brand.

Owen and I met online two years ago when I was just beginning my journey, and we was one of the the Experienced Ones. It was on the site Friendfeed, which had been highly touted [at the time] by Robert Scoble, who spoke to my marketing classes at San Francisco State.

I’d been trying out that platform when I stumbled upon Owen, who must have seen Robert comment on something I’d written. At the time, I didn’t really understand the significance of that.

So Owen and I became “friends” on Friendfeed. One day I asked a question, and Owen simply “liked” it. I posted back, “Why did you LIKE my question and not Answer it?” And here is the answer which should help a lot more newbies out there:

When someone “likes” what you have posted, then their entire network gets to see that post. You don’t even have to comment or answer, all you have to do is LIKE, i.e., the Power of Liking.

So . . . that was helpful.

So . . . I started to follow Owen more and more, especially on Twitter, which had just started to explode in 2009. Of course, I like lots of other Twitter newbies, at first thought Twitter was Stupid — Who wants to know where you went out to eat? Well, actually, after I got to know Owen online, then when I’d see him post something like dining out or speaking somewhere or attending a conference, I could “engage” with him, and let him know I was listening.

Owen has been a continued online supporter, and now he’s even joined the gallery on our Facebook group for the students in my online course Social Media for Journalists. I’ve wanted to interview Owen for ages, so Students, Subscribers, and New Readers:

Here’s Owen Greaves

1. Explain your “love” for Twitter . . . and can you give some advice to small business people on why they are missing out by not understanding and using Twitter.

Owen: I love Twitter!

Mostly Twitter fills the need for real-time responses, research, and website traffic.

Twitter acts as a broadcasting channel, but also as a place to do research. TNN = Twitter News Network,

I can search for any keyword in http://search.twitter.com and find results, I can finetune those results as well.

The biggest reason I love Twitter, relationships.

I have met more incredible people on Twitter than I have in my entire life shaking hands, and I have met a lot; I’m 53 years old so I’ve been around.

The best piece of advice I can give is this [and this holds true for all Social Media Networks]:

You can’t have a Social Media Presence and not be present.

You must be there, LIVE! I don’t automate my Social Network Updates.

2.  What are the biggest mistakes that businesses make when they get started with social media?

Owen: The biggest mistake…hmmm….I think the bigger problem is before Social Media, they don’t understand the changes in the business landscape on a global basis.

That creates problems for businesses when they try to execute a Social Media Strategy. Most businesses don’t look beyond the transaction  —

if you fly at 50,000 feet and look for patterns, you will see we are becoming very Mobile and very Social, that data needs to be studied on a business by business case, especially by what service or product a business offers. I know, I’m opening a can of worms here.

3.  How did you get started in social media?

Owen: Social Media is not new, it’s just gone digital.

I’ve been online since the early ’80s so I have seen much change on this incredible thing called the Internet. I started taking Social Media seriously in 2007, about a year later than the early adopters. I used to run a BBS (Bulletin Board System)back in the ’80s and then I used to market a Newsletter back 1995.

4. What’s your definition of social media?

Owen: Social Media to me is simple really: I used to go around town in my business sphere of influence and have coffee or go out for a cold one; today I do the same thing online. The benefits are almost the same. The big difference is I can’t see your body language unless I use Skype or a Camera.

It’s much easier to connect people in Social Media than it is in real physical life; that’s the BIG plus, connecting people matters more today than ever.

In fact, having more connections will determine your influence, your following, and your ability to earn money in some circles. Read my Blog Post from Jan 4th called – 3 things 2011 will bring and you will get a snippet of what I’m hinting.

5. Can you list any of the grossly misunderstood paradigm shifts?

Owen: There are some 14 paradigm shifts I talk about on my Blog, but there are far too many to list actually. If you were to talk about Nanotechnology alone, there are many shifts there.

But let’s just look at some of the simple shifts in the future of business, primarily online.

1.) Web-native Business Model (Open & Free)
2.) Network to Networked
3.) Social & Mobile
4.) Open Platforms – FaceBook, Twitter, Linkedin
5.) Control to Trust – building relationships
6.) Egosystem to Ecosystem
7.) Walled Gardens to the Jungle
8.) Shift to the Cloud
9.) Friction to Engagement – Control to Collaboration
10.) GUI to NUI
11.) Yes / No – Maybe
12.) Linear to Fuzzy Logic
13.) Denial to Foresight

6. You like to inspire creativity. How does one person inspire creativity in others? Do you have a definition of creativity?

Owen: I love to make people think, if that’s creative then yes I like to inspire creativity.

My way of inspiring people is for them to take their eyes off of themselves and put it on others. What I mean by that is, it’s not about you, it’s about those around you. Look at your business, or look at your passion(s), and see how they line up with the needs of others.

I often recommend this in my workshops: take a drive through your community and look around, ask yourself one question….what’s missing? If your business or passion can fill what’s missing, you may have something you can research and possible launch.

My definition of creativity is more of a process: if I can get you to stop thinking about your own needs, get you thinking about others, help you find your passion, teach you how to participate in an Open & Free Business Model….that’s the Future of Business. I can’t put desire in someone, but I can inspire creativity on some level.

7. Do you have any tips that you would like to share on any of the following:

a – How to blog?
Owen: Just do it. I recommend running a Self-hosted WordPress Blog with Headway Themes. you have all the flexibility you could ever want without ever having to write a line of code.

There are many steps on how to blog. The 1st one is knowing the core of your business, if that’s what your blog is for, the rest will come through your day-to-day efforts, just write, or should I say share. As you know I run my own webhosting company so I have considerable experience helping people get set up.

b – What to Tweet
Owen: I Tweet about everything, I share links, I talk to people, talk about good stuff and bad, I Tweet my life, I Tweet my work, I Tweet my findings…Tweet it all, within reason of course. I don’t want to know how many pimples you have on your butt.

c – Questions to ask at a networking event
Owen: I would suggest asking yourself why you are attending the networking event, if you are there to sell….don’t go!

I go to networking events to meet new people, to find out what problems they are up against, I’m always listening more than I’m talking, unless I’m the guest of honor and it’s expected of me to chat my head off.

You need to be the best you can be, have a genuine love for people and make an effort to be interested in them. I love people, I love helping people, but that should be your normal mode of operation if you run a business.

8. In your version of the perfect Future, what would be the Top Five Features of that World

Owen: There never will be a perfect future, I know too much.

I have always said, I want have a nice quiet life, leave a legacy of helping others, and spend as much time as possible with my wife & kids. If I become popular or famous so to speak, I’ll leave that to the rest of the world to handle, it’s not my primary goal, but I’ll do my best to handle it if it happens.

Well, friends, What do you think? What did you learn? How will this help you? And don’t forget to read more at OwenGreaves.com


 

Facebook, Guest Post

Is playing Farmville a social media marketing necessity?

12 Comments

So what do you know about Farmville?

For most readers of this blog — i.e., serious or somewhat serious business types learning how to use social media marketing — Farmville is a nuisance, a game played by people with nothing but time on their hands.

However, it’s just possible that “we” are wrong.  According to Feb 18 stats, Farmville has 80 million users; 15% of Facebookers play Farmville, and 31 million do it daily.

The implication for marketers is clear. Your target consumer could be on Farmville and perhaps you need to be there as well. One friend recently told me  that her mom spends HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS, i.e., Real American Dollars playing Farmville to buy “things.”

Knowing nothing about Farmville myself, I called upon my British colleague  Mike Maynard, one of those 31 million daily players. Here’s one thing he said:

 Imagine American kids learning to speak English; cool, awesome, mega, outrageous and heavy; man… If you notice kids getting up really early in the morning and saying Ar a lot; don’t worry they are getting up to do the Farmville milking. Farmville cash – is it real money?  

 . . . and here is the rest:

Farmville cash: How “real” is it?

Guest Post by Michael Maynard

Zynga the makers of Farmville and other games running via Facebook is in the news trying to raise up to $500M in investment and analysts now value Zynga at $10 Billion.

I checked the price of Farmville cash and Farmville coins this morning:

  • For comparison I have chosen 115 FV cash for $23 and also 33,500 coins for $23.
  • You can get it cheaper by buying 650 FV cash for $115 and people are buying in that sort of quantity on a weekly basis.

But is it like real money and should governments regulate Zynga and its virtual money?

It is certainly big business when you have a license to print money! It is thought though that only the Federal Reserve in the US and the Bank of England in the UK have a license to print money; so is this ‘real’ money? If it is like real money, could you go to prison for stealing ‘virtual’ money?

Zynga also has an online poker game, and hacker Ashley Mitchell from the UK hacked the Zynga server stealing 400 billion chips worth around $12,000,000, which he set about selling cheap on the black market. He sold them for a fraction of their “value’”and still made $100,000 from a third of them. Should he go to prison for stealing virtual money? It’s not real is it? The judge at his trial in the UK thinks it is.

Mike’s Farmville Millions

I’ve been writing my Farmville Millions blog articles telling people how to make millions of coins at Farmville with screen shots showing that I have done it.

Now I am working on the Farmville Billionaire. Yes, I am going to make a cool 1,000,000,000 coins:

  • 33,500 coins according to Zynga cost $23 and so what are a billion worth?
  • I make it $686,567 and so far I have over 377,000,000 of them.
  • I have made $258,835 and change… well over $12,000 a day.

It’s not taxable is it?

Bugger… I have read that there is a black market for most virtual money in some countries; but I see no way of transferring it to someone else; so it isn’t money.

If Zynga made FV cash and coins interchangeable and then allowed people to buy other things with the virtual money, that would be different. If I could buy a state of the art laptop for say 13,000,000 coins; worth $13,000, I could just about afford that today and I could buy a few for my family over the course of the week. I wouldn’t mind an Android phone, and a new car would be nice. I think 100,000,000 coins for a car is fair — they are worth $68,000 at Zynga prices.

Zynga did offer me FV cash at a discount, though, just after I checked out the prices. They offered me 115 FV cash for $10, and so even they don’t think it’s worth the money.

I suppose some people would say it is worth whatever people are willing to pay for it.

I know that people do go in stores and buy game cards in the USA for amazing amounts of money; I’m amazed anyway! In the UK we are expected to use a credit or debit card. 115FV cash for $10; that’s about £6.00 and what would I get for it? I could have a bakery and make loads of stuff and sell it for coins and an orchard for my trees!

Cool… I have two orchards already though and I have a winery; I don’t really have the time to run a bakery.

If you still think Farmville is silly with these amounts of money involved, consider the themes. The French theme not long ago had American kids asking for croissants for breakfast and learning to Parlez Français; we also had a Tuscan wedding theme. I still have a “holiday tree” on my farm – Zynga talk for a Christmas tree; I think and we are into a Valentine’s theme now.

There is also farming in the English countryside theme coming soon. Imagine American kids learning to speak English; cool, awesome, mega, outrageous and heavy; man… If you notice kids getting up really early in the morning and saying Ar a lot; don’t worry they are getting up to do the Farmville milking. If they offer you the keys to their combine harvester and sing, ‘I got a brand new combine harvester and I’ll give you the key all day’ they’re hooked!

Zynga games like Farmville appeal to different types of personalities. The more macho go for mafia wars and it takes a particular type of personality to be good at Farmville. Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg would have no chance. Bill Gates says young people should start off flipping burgers and work their way up, but he never did that. He started by getting mommy on the board of IBM to give him a hand up – right to the top! I have flipped burgers; it was only for a few hours but I did deal with a drunken security guard. It taught me a lesson: people look down on you as a burger flipper. The next day I had him fired on my way to the office… They don’t teach that stuff in Harvard…

People who have learned the hard way and are used to starting with nothing can take that small bit of land they give you in Farmville and work their way up to a big farm and a billion coins.

I need 69 friends for a larger farm; I’ll get there, we work our way up by being friendly and helpful. If you walk all over people or are narcissistic, as many people are on Facebook; then you languish at the bottom. I need 100,000 XP to go up a level and many of my neighbours don’t have 100,000 XP in total. I will actually get 10,000,000 XP when I spend my billion on mansions and things; it a shame I can’t buy a train…

I had a message from one of my neighbours this morning, it said “hey hi,” she is only 13 years old; her vocabulary will develop. I will have to send her presents to help her get started; she isn’t doing very well. If Bill Gates’ mommy can help him become a billionaire then I don’t see why I should engage in a little nepotism and send a few Farmville cows to my great niece. I wonder if she knows I’m her great uncle.

I’ll be back…

In the meantime you can check out Mike’s blog-with-a-blog: In which you get to meet Mike Maynard and his Farmville strategies

And, of course, tell us your own Farmville stories and tips.

Journalism

Simple Answers to Six Basic Social Media Questions

23 Comments

NOTE: I am republishing this article for the benefit of the students in my online course: Social Media for Journalists AND my new entrepreneurial friends from BNI and Linked Local Marin.

Want to get started with social media but don’t know what questions to ask first. Check out this article for a great video intro and some brief answers.

 

Every new enterprise —  whether it’s a new project, new class, new relationship, or a new business — begins with some degree of Confusion. The key to getting past the initial uncertainties is to (a) silence your “fear” [False Expectations Appearing Real], (b) focus on one objective, and (c) put in effort.

6 Basic Social Media questions . . . and their answers:

1. Where can and will social media take me?

Social media is a set of technologies, strategies, and tactics that will help build your business by increasing both your understanding of your customers/clients/community and their knowledge of how your products and services can help them.

2. What makes social media so important?

The world has changed. There is a New Normal and the old techniques of marketing and communication will no longer work in the same ways as they have in the past — because everyone can become a publisher and everyone can gather information on their own [without depending traditional media].

3. How much time do people need to spend online?

Among peoples’ greatest online fears is that they must be continually updating their statuses on dozens of social media platforms. Most social media consultants suggest that short periods of time, e.g. 15-30 minutes two or three times a day can accomplish a number of objectives for entrepreneurs as well as managers and executives in firms of all sizes — if you have a strategy set in place.

4. What is a blog?

The word “blog,” which is a silly-sounding word to many, is just a shortened term for a Web Log. Very simply, a blog is a website with recurring content. Bloggers can write whatever they want whenever they want. This is an example of everyone having the opportunity to become a publisher. Are all blogs “equal”? Of course not. Of the hundreds of thousands of blogs and bloggers, most might be termed “frivolous,” i.e. trivial, inconsistent, unresearched, etc. But the fact of the matter is that many bloggers who write about important and interesting topics in unique styles are fast becoming highly influential throughout the world.

5. How safe are social media sites for private, confidential information?

Not “safe” at all. The Best Practice is not to write anything on a social media platform that you wouldn’t want the world to read. There is a difference between publishing “personal” and “private” information. Personal information about yourself can be wonderful for building trusting relationships. Private information does not belong on the Global Whiteboard.

6. How many social media platforms do you really need to know and use?

Answers to this question vary depending on WHY an individual or a business communicates online. To effectively build an online presence as the Go-To source for information on a certain subject, these five venues offer great rewards: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Blogging, and YouTube.

For more basic information on these platforms, check out the sharisax.com articles in these categories

Blogging Basics

Facebook Basics

LinkedIn Basics

Twitter Basics

FURTHER READING:

Definitions of Web 2.0, Blogging, Microblogging, Reverse-Engineering, Future of Marketing

No Guarantees, but here’s how to go viral on video

Enhance your LinkedIn profile to increase find-ability

10 Social Media Newbie Mistakes

What to Tweet to stand out from the Masses

Please add more questions about social media and how it works in the comment section. You’ll get answers from me and other readers.